Ruidoso Downs gets new police vehicles

Residents already have taken notice

Ruidoso Downs Police Officer Robert Odom points out new decal reflection that adds better night-time visibility of the vehicle. (Andrea Reed — For the Ruidoso News)

It's 2014 and Ruidoso Downs will be driving in style with a new fleet of 2014 Dodge Chargers for the police department and a 2014 Ford F150 extended cab for animal control.

Ruidoso Downs Police Chief Chris Rupp said the new vehicles will allow officers to respond to citizens needs more reliably as the department's current vehicles are aging, each having more than 100,000 miles on them and needing repairs.

Rupp said Ruidoso Downs has never had new vehicles and said the average cost for the new cars is about $30,000 per vehicle. He said there was a concern for public and employee safety in addition to the increasing cost of maintaining the older vehicles that motivated the purchases.

Ruidoso Downs Police Officer Tim Winrow points out the radar equipment used in the new vehicles. (Andrea Reed — For the Ruidoso News)

Ruidoso Downs Mayor Gary Williams said the new vehicles are something the community can be proud of. He said they will all be paid for in cash.

"Four of the vehicles are being paid for with capital build-up, which still leaves reserves in the general fund for regular services, in addition to a cushion for emergencies," Williams said. "The other four will be paid for with Correction Fund money."

Williams said because of recent changes in the law, Correction Fund money has been made available to smaller communities. He said there is a $29 fee that is tied to traffic citations and is set aside for specific purchases. The legislative changes allow for communities of less than 3,000 people to access these funds for police equipment.

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"This is a once-in-a-lifetime deal that will allow for better gas efficiency and allow the cost spent on vehicle repairs to be used for new equipment purchases," Williams said. He said he was thankful to the citizens of Ruidoso Downs for this investment. "Its for them."

Rupp said the new black and white colors on the vehicles will allow the department to be eligible for federal grants because the vehicles are Homeland Security Deparmtent compliant.

He said fuel, tires, and maintenance will cost less when compared to the same for the department's older SUVs.

Rupp said four of the six older department vehicles will be decommissioned and sold at auction and two will be kept to be driven in bad weather. Williams said two of the current police vehicles have leases that are up for renewal and they will be returned.

The vehicles will be installed with new Mobile Terminal Data computers that were purchased through a grant that was awarded to Ruidoso Downs by a recent Hubbard grant, Rupp said.

The exterior decals also provide a unique reflection that will allow for better night-time visibility of police vehicles, he added.

So far, Officer Robert Odom and Officer Tim Winrow have been assigned the new vehicles, which, when the remaining vehicles are received, will eventually be assigned to each individual officer. The officers say the new vehicles have been noticed by the public and have had positive responses. One of the officers said a citizen even asked to take a picture.

"This is a step in the right direction," Winrow said, complimenting Ruidoso Downs for purchasing new cars. He said the officers' hard work is paying off and the new cars add to the professionalism of the force.

Odom said people are more responsive in traffic because of the new vehicles.

"The police are the face of the government and it is important to have the appearance of safety, security, and professionalism," Odom said.

The officers agreed the new cars are a great retention and recruitment tool.

Rupp said the next set of vehicles will be sent in a couple of weeks. They were ordered from Malloy Dodge in Albuquerque and will be sent from the dealer to get decals added, then to another business that adds the police-required electronic and safety features. The vehicles are then sent back to the dealership before they are sent to the Ruidoso Downs Police Department, he said.